WTA Abu Dhabi Open Prize Money Explained: How much can Bencic, Badosa and Eala earn
WTAMonday, 02 February 2026 at 01:30
The Abu Dhabi Open will be the first major tournament to kick off the Middle East swing. The WTA 500 event has suffered several late withdrawals, but even so it still features a star-studded field, with several players inside the top 30 in a draw that began on Sunday, February 1, and will conclude with the final on Saturday, February 7.
Abu Dhabi has World No. 9 Belinda Bencic as the main favourite for the title, the only top-10 player in the draw — following the withdrawal of Elena Rybakina, the recent Australian Open champion. Bencic arrives just a couple of weeks away from securing her return to the top 10 and as the defending champion, a trophy she also won back in 2023 and at an event where she currently holds nine consecutive wins so far.
However, she will face a difficult path, with several high-profile rivals, including Ekaterina Alexandrova (No. 11), Clara Tauson (No. 16), Emma Navarro (No. 17) and Liudmila Samsonova (No. 18) among the main seeds.
One of the stories to follow during the week will be that of World No. 45 Alexandra Eala, who continues to rise in the rankings week after week and has no points to defend during this month. The Filipina will have extra motivation to add points at this stage of the season, considering that she will face a tough task in March when she has to defend her Miami Open semi-final points — her biggest career result and the one that has fuelled her climb up the rankings.
It will also mark the return to the courts of Spain’s Paula Badosa, who suffered an early exit in the second round of the Australian Open and dropped several places in the rankings. From being inside the top 25 just two weeks ago, she is currently positioned at No. 65. Even so, the Spaniard has very few points to defend in the coming months, and starting in Abu Dhabi, every win will allow her to climb positions in the rankings over the next few weeks.
There will be several other notable names in the draw as well, including former Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin and Jelena Ostapenko, as well as former US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez. There will also be players who are just beginning to make a name for themselves at the top level, including Australian Maya Joint, Indonesia’s Janice Tjen and Turkey’s Zeynep Sönmez.
Abu Dhabi Open prize money breakdown and increase for 2026
The tournament distributes a total of $1,206,446, which represents a 13.33% increase compared to 2025. The champion of the tournament will take home $185,500, while the runner-up will receive $114,500.
Players who reach the semi-finals will be rewarded with $66,300, while quarter-finalists will earn $35,000. Those who manage to advance only to the second round will receive $18,045, while players eliminated in the first round will leave the tournament with $13,005.
Prize money
| Round | Ranking Points | Prize Money (USD) |
| First Round | 1 | $13,005 |
| Second Round | 60 | $18,045 |
| Quarterfinals | 108 | $35,000 |
| Semifinals | 195 | $66,003 |
| Finalist | 325 | $114,500 |
| Champion | 500 | $185,500 |
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